Matt Murray is back to playing at a franchise goaltender level
The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped the Boston Bruins 19 game unbeaten streak with a 4-2 win Sunday night at the PPG Paints Arena. Matt Murray was again sensational in turning aside 39 of 41 shots. Murray’s play of late has started to change the outlook of this team.
Sidney Crosby has showed over the last little while there’s no way he’s going to let this group miss the playoffs but the Murray dynamic always looms of how dangerous of a foe the Penguins can be or won’t be.
When Murray is playing like this and looking identical to the goaltender that backstopped the Penguins to back-to-back Titles in 2016 and 2017, you start looking at the Penguins a little bit different.
Really since the outdoor game against Philadelphia, the group has started to simplify their game for the better from the d-zone on out and they reaped the benefits again Sunday night against a fast attacking Bruins team. Simple is better with this team and the hope has to be that it continues from here on out.
Pittsburgh tilted the ice for the first period, putting together a dominant period and taking a 2-0 lead on goals from Nick Blugstad and Jared McCann. Boston came right back with a dominant second period of their own, got within one on a David Krejci power play goal, and when the Penguins are at their best they find a way to regain momentum when things are starting to unravel.
They did it late in the second period with Teddy Blueger drawing a tripping penalty and Jake Guentzel delivered a crushing power play for his 34th of the season at 16:32 of the second period. With how dominant Murray was playing, that was the game.
Pittsburgh got a similar type of goal late in the second period vs the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday night from Nick Blugstad that also pretty much put the game away when you’re getting the type of goaltending the Penguins are getting from Matt Murray right now.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
— What were the Panthers thinking in throwing Jared McCann into the Blugstad deal?
For a low budget non-playoff team, Florida putting a young cost controlled forward like McCann into the deal just so they can move Blugstad’s contract without any pushback was always a head-scratcher. There’s always a way to take advantage of teams ran like the Panthers when they’re looking to move salary and Pittsburgh took full advantage.
So the Panthers basically replaced a 22 year old Jared McCann with Riley Sheahan who they plan to resign…..That’s why they are the Florida Panthers……
Penguin scouts were very high on McCann coming into the 2014 draft and they saw great upside as a defensive minded shutdown center down the line.
The team also saw some upside offensive they could tap into.
It became clear, though, very early into McCann’s tenure as a Penguin, he’s suited as a winger and his offensive game has taken off since he’s become a full-time winger. McCann has some Carl Hagelin capabilities with the instincts to track loose pucks which are near an elite level. Some Penguin officials also see a young CTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— What are scouts saying of Phil Kessel?
5-on-5 ‘The game is starting To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
So now that Malkin has made it to 1,000 points and the pressure is off (I know players say they do not look at stats but ones like this they do) do you think maybe his grip will be a bit loser and he will start picking up steam? Milestones, especially rare ones, can weigh heavy on players until they are met.
Interesting point, he has definitely been squeezing the stick lately…. is Phil near a big one too? Lol
No…. lol….
Another eye test issue… guys clocking at a PPG and currently tied at his fourth highest single season total pacing for potentially second.
#FireGMJR
Have to admit, at this point he really looks like he was on to something everyone else was not. The Gudbranson deal was something a lot reacted to. I did based on reserving judgment on JJ that turned out to be exactly as expected.
Applaud him for making moves that seem to be working for the team again! I’ll be curious to see what happens when Letang returns tho, I’m hoping he can adjust as opposed to having the team adjust to him
It’s ridiculous how busy Sam is when he feels he has an opportunity to shit on the team but got real quiet real quick after the W… it’s not even subtle, he’s a total fake
PS. No one fucken cares about Price, he’s a tender whose career has been squandered in Montreal so leave it
Have you not realized that after I called him out about him having an insane amount of thumbs up for his own posts and and equally insane amout of thumbs down for those who disagreed with him and accusing him of having multiple accounts it suddenly stopped. Then he defected it on other peoole. His pattern of behavior is so transparent.
Bishop 3 games in a row shutout
Let me do the Honor
Sams new team Dallas.
Fuckenn morons
You said it…
Bruce Jenner with his first career hat trick. Npl must be proud for him lol
Woooooooo Malkin with his 1000th, Kessel on the board, Pens 6-1-1 without Letang, Murray with 38 saves on 41 shots, and a 4 point swing…
This assholes talking about a hat trick in a game the Pens needed Boston to win…
But… woooooooooo Genoooooooooo! AsshoIeeeeeeee Sam is still an assholeeeee hahahahaha
Its Boone Jenner, idiot.
That’s not what you said before. Just enjoy your idols accomplishment
That’s 843 points he’s scored for the Pens since chubby said he’d be back in Russia.
#TradeLetang
Now that was a hockey game.
Another streak ended!!!
6-1-1!
The Penguins are only winning bc the other teams are not scoring more goals against them!
That bounce just summed up Hornqvist’s bad luck as of late.
3rd empty net goal for mccann
Woooooooooooooo Pens won… you fucken suck… who cares how they get them as those are nails in the coffin and McCann is a beauty.
Why do you hate McCann now too?
Woooooooooo McCann ices it on 1000 point night. Huge 4 points, Murray was solid with what 38 or 39 saves?
Ladies and Gentlemen Sam(e) send his brain to vacation!
Can we think of anyone other than Sam that cheers so hard against this team so regularly? Yoda does too often sure but even he can give credit when it’s due. Sams the worst
“He only send his brain to vacation.”
Magic number
You really wanna have this conversation? Murray has been measurably better as of late and SV% this year he’s been better. Over the same number of games most stats are a wash… although Murray’s SV% is higher
37 saves bahahahahahaha
38…. hahahahaha you suck
14th alltime PPG… what a waste of 9.5.
It’s sad Letang decided to take his annual vacation instead of celebrating with his teammate. Then again if he was out there he would have fucked up that PP no doubt
Letang would have received an assist on another short handed goal for the Caps.
The way chubby did last game by tumbling down. With no letang playing
Who won that game? With no Letang? Hahahahaha
Now he can take a vacation
Please go with him.
You think Letang is holding a room for him?
Usually malkin takes 20 games annual vacation this year he did it differently. He only send his brain to vacation for 20 games and body stayed on the ice just to make sure he con paychecks
Funny, you and Geno speak english the same way only Geno actually has talent.
Woooooooo Malkin hits 1000 and the Pens win again without Letang. He’s so fucken unnecessary at this point hahahahaha. Dump his ass this off season while he still has any value.
Who wouldn’t guessed it malkin 1000 point be on a power play.
1000 points for Malkin! Well done sir
Let’s play a game see if malkin 1000 be in on pp
Dude, just fuck off!!
Do you remember when I went through PP points and showed Crosby had as many as Geno and Kessel the last 5 years? Do you remember that? You’re an idiot!
Crosby also has more 5v5 points. While the other 2 depend on pp
as a percentage of points? Pretty close you fucken loser lol
Bet he didn’t want to score that one…
He did not mean to do it. He was aiming for the verizon sign.
1000!!!!!!!
Poor Wilson didn’t have someone to push around.
I like that Gudbranson responds instantly, zero questions! When you’re brought in to do a job but are a decent serviceable depth player at least and respond as it happens it’s a solid dude
GUBER GUBER
I’m liking him, he has been better than I was expecting and adds the toughness given away in the Oleksiak deal.
Another amazing play by npls favourite player trotman
Murray looks shaky thank God team in front playing for him kinda reminds me of playoffs now.
Reminds you of MAF.
No because MAF carried the team to the finals on its own in case you watched other teams in playoffs last year other then penguins
And then he had his yearly post season meltdown as always.
He blew it… quit living in the past
Oh look our pp specialists are on the board
Go watch the Montreal game. Do us all a favor.
It counts doesn’t it
It does but not fun when you have 2 players close to 20m invested and needs pp to get them going while you have players like Jake paid less then 1m and has more 5v5 goals than those 2 combined
You hate Jake anyway…. I’ll say one thing… 7.25 for a defenceman they seem to be more than capable with and have won without and who is on his annual vacation seems like a fucken waste of money
That guy Sam(e) hates scored again !
Crosby ?
Nice try.
Crosby???
Anyone miss letang to generate offence
Shultz is taking care of it.
Nope
How many TV’s are off
I heard mstartari has his turned off already
The Pens tied the came, Sam(e) turns off his tv.
Hey npl make sure you have the GIF of Murray’s 2nd goal in
And Shultz’s pass!
Ugh!
Someone gag Errey please or slip him a downer STFU enjoy the game.
He is always annoying.
Not according to npl
This broadcast crew are amateur at its best
So is your writing.
In the side notes no one reads… Letang to miss his 8th straight game. 5-1-1 without him in the line up. Looks like he’s all in on the extended Vacation hey sammich?
Seems to be a pattern forming with Letang.
Well he has missed about 80+ games the past 5 years
Malkin has annual vacation time about 20 games a year too this year he did not take vacation off the ice instead he took a vacation in the ice being a ghost for a month or so while playing.
In the ice? No wonder he’s gone cold.
Letang on his annual vacation and the teams better without him hahahahaha
And your point when malkin was out before the playoffs last year or the year before penguins had an amazing record without him they should’ve traded him then asssholee. Don’t be shy to share us the numbers
If I remember team was 23-1-3 without him
Also you might be happy team is winning without letang. Well hey team also doing good when Russian and chubby can’t score 5v5. And are 5-1-1.
Yup, they were not so hot without Geno earlier this year while Letang played… strange
Malkin, played in all three cups… Letang did not… asshoIeeeeee
A few random comments: Is part of Malkins issue especially passing up shots, he is trying to hard to get Kessel going? …..Cullen needs to rest some now that we seem to have backed into the playoffs. Age is age he will hit a wall soon….. Is Trotman the answer to who will be the real 7th D for the playoffs…at the rate our D gets hurt means he will see much more action…..Read article posted by ZC still not sold on Bjudstad his game seems to waiver back and forth hopefully he will settle in….Some games he is out… Read more »
Dylan Strome 41 points in 45 games since being traded.
Niderreiter 21 points in 23 games since traded
Can’t believe they are making a huge scene on Rielly for using homophobic slurs
Of course, if it was a Russian you’d want to deport him… plus you’ve made it clear you’re a racist homophobe sooooooo
A serious question for you all. Does anyone think that MM’s play (up until recently) could be largely be attributed to death of his father? Losing a family member at such a young age has to weigh heavy on people and as an athlete could greatly effect your game and your concentration. Playing hockey is not like playing football when you can lose yourself on the field once a week for a few hrs. This is a 3 to 4 day a week gig.
I doubt it
His life style is not like the average Joe lifestyle
He often travels his lifestyle is on the go with teammates so it’s easy to move on because he is on the go
Also most these players been apart their family at young age so for him not moving on is hard to believe
Yes Sam, he moved on because he’s an athlete, you’ve cracked some sort of code… Fucken moron
It was something I figured was weighing on him heavy last year, tough to say it’s carried into this year although we all deal with it differently.
Was just reading an old article from Jan, 2018…. “My parents were unbelievably supportive,” he told ESPN.com in 2016. “I can’t thank them enough. You can’t even imagine how much money it costs to play triple-A hockey in Thunder Bay, because it’s a 100 percent travel team, so you have to pay for all the flights and all the hotels, and that’s kind of combined into one lump payment at the start of the season. It’s a crazy amount of money. “My parents paid that. I played five years of triple-A, so my parents paid that for five years in… Read more »
Even wwe raw tonight in Pittsburgh is a museum atmosphere
Elias said there is an overwhelming evidence that if you born in Pittsburgh you’re going to be an enormous waste of life.
Maybe you should check your birth certificate then.
5 mins left leafs losing 6-1 and arena still full. While penguins win half crowd be gone last 5 mins
Leafs fan too now… Sam loves every crowd except Pittsburgh! What a fuckk awful fan
I wonder if he could even find Pittsburgh on a map.
Probably takes you 45mins to find Canada on the map
Canada is America’s toupée.
Trump said democRats hate jews
Ok…
Bandwagon Sam(e) and his useless posts.
More commentary around the idea that we’ve been a little hard on Bjugstad
https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-hornqvist-bjugstad-third-line-dominant-again/
Blugstad*
Pukestad*
Penguins sign undrafted forward jake lucchini
Now he can play with crosby
Man you really don’t like Guentzel do you…
I never said I hate Jake you are a clown.
Focus on your sheary and hope he can fetch us a 3rd round pick
Still needs to score 20 goals or 40 pts
I watch Pens hockey… maybe you can do it riding one of your multiple band wagons.
Here’s were we get “I don’t have a life, all I do is watch hockey and yet I’m still fucken clueless”! We know Sam.
And yes, you fucken absolutely included Guentzel in a laundry list of guys you didn’t like with Crosby!
If Vegas and Montreal aren’t playing, and the Pens aren’t losing at any point in the game, he might have the game on.
He’s stuck in the past with MAF
How long is ZAR out?
Banged up his hip… heard he won’t he put long. Might play vs Washington
Number 7 needs to be in the pressbox instead of TB
With ZAR out neither has to sit
Very true-don’t think there is much to fall back on in the system, or at least we haven’t seen yet.
If ZAR isn’t injured we may be able to discuss this again lol
D, its Bjugstad. With a J. Not Blustad. Youre welcome.
Sam(e) is their editor.
Malkin is the enigma I have been talking about for years…….he makes a move like he did last night undressing the Boston defender and then he takes a stupid penalty or wont shoot the puck……. geez!!!
At only 32 and being a high level talent I really hope this is not a sign of early slowing. I mean he is still at a PPG but he has struggled in certain aspects of the game since about December. He is really beating down the penalty thing which may be a sign of him not being able to react as quick as he once did. Fedorov was a year older when he suddenly hit a fucken wall and dropped all the way off from being one of the world premiere centers in 2003-04. Ultimately I figure it is… Read more »
Zero…lets hope Malkin and Kessel its only a slump! they both have amazing shots and sometimes (especially Malkin) wont shoot the biscuit!
Minnesota. Being a real hockey town fans would chase kessel out by end of the season. It’s not like the fans here that will be hypnotized by the box score and as for malkin he is done his style of play ain’t working anymore Crosby adapts to the new league year after year but our Russian still plays same game he used to in 09. Same moves same passes. As I said on numerous occasions trade those guys get few players that work hard and team will be better than now but some clowns here don’t agree because they live… Read more »
Yes sam, we are all idiots for liking a guy that was a huge part of winning two cups end of fucken story! You are a dumb fuckk
“Live in the past” literally two fucken years ago lol. But swinging from MAFs nuts because he won a cup in 09 makes sense hahahaha
I would move Phil in the summer straight up for Minnesota Jason Zucker. (aalot of people will be after Jason Zucker) …..or go for dman Jonas Brodin….
The Wild love kessel and i think they need a scorer……
Is Zucker an RFA?
If Kessel and Malkin aren’t going to shoot, they have no business being on the power play. 0-4 with them on it, and at least two of those had 0 shots. He may be anti-american, but even Same wouldn’t keep Guentzel off the first unit.